Proposed legislation allowing bars to serve alcohol until 7 a.m. is prudent and reasonable. Any nightlife patron can attest to the mayhem that follows the current practice of the 2 a.m. closing time. This new legislation encourages moderation. If individuals believe that they have an entire evening (until 7 a.m.) to drink and socialize, they are less likely to feel pressure to drink quickly before last call — and will have more time to sober up prior to driving home. People can only drink so much. These extended hours would eliminate “people congestion,” as the flood of crowds exit the bars. This legislation would reduce the number of drunken patrons waiting for taxis and possibly getting into altercations with one another. In addition, the glut of compromised drivers on roadways at the same time would be reduced. Denver police would avoid the dangerous conditions surrounding the mass exodus. Alcohol and moderation go hand in hand.

Sarah Steinberg, Broomfield

This letter was published in the Jan. 26 edition.

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they are less likely to feel pressure to drink quickly before last call — and will have more time to sober up prior to driving home.

I did an extended project in Alaska several years ago. I appreciated the extra time I could spend in the bar, drinking.

Best,

D

thor

Sarah, the bars could quit serving liquor at 2:00 a.m. and still stay open to let people socialize and wind down.

peterpi

Some do exactly that. But apparently, none of them are in LoDo.

Papa Smurf

Let’s see… the problem seems to be alcohol-fueled violence. And the proposed solution is to add more alcohol to the mix. What could possibly go worng?

peterpi

Spot on!

primafacie

In an inexplicable environment like Colorado, where auto dealerships can exert political pressure to ensure their competitors can’t sell their wares on Sundays, and liquor stores can prevent a competitors from operating in more than one location, further reducing the likelihood that a successful competitor can become more successful, it makes perfect sense that bar owners can use the law to prevent another from remaining open around the clock.

If the demand is there for high balls and frosty steins at 7 in the morning, who’s to argue that it isn’t there at 8 and 9, not to mention 3 and 4? If it’s not there, the bars won’t remain even though the law would allow it. But if the demand is there, it makes no sense for the state to determine when you can serve your customers.

Patrons will still be liable for misdeeds, on the roads or in the parking lots, since it’ll still be illegal to drive drunk and to pop that loudmouth in the bazzoo.

RaginGnome

Auto dealerships had nothing to do with not being able to sell cars on Sunday. This is a left over of the blue laws which restrict the sale of some items on Sunday. Like cars and until recently alcohol.

primafacie

Thanks for the knowledge. But I do understand there has been a move afoot to change that law but that some dealerships resist the pressure of feeling compelled to open because their competitors are.

peterpi

I think some dealerships feel they can’t resist the pressure, so they have government make sure everyone is closed.
Or is that what you meant?

primafacie

I mean they would rather close but would open to keep pace with a competitor who will open.

peterpi

Yep. But with this last vestige of the blue laws, car dealers can be closed, secure in the knowledge their competitor won’t be open.
Strange: Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby are closed on Sundays, and they do well, despite the fact that competitors in their respective businesses are open. Other businesses choose their hours despite what the competition does. Even liquor stores are now free to be closed on Sundays, if they so choose, and do well. I can’t imagine it would be any different with car dealerships.

primafacie

It might be, it might not be.

They can decide for themselves, rather than the state.

peterpi

Your summary about the blue laws is correct,
But!
Auto dealers fight like crazy to keep the Sunday laws, for precisely the reason primafacie stated.

peterpi

I think the letter writer’s logic shows signs of being written right before her bar closed.
But,
Your analysis of the car dealers and liquor store owners is spot on.

Pilgrim

I lived the first half of my life in NY. I rarely ever made it to 4 AM in a bar. By that time most places are empty as all of the drunks have gone home their beds. I think 4 is better than 7 so commuters won’t interact with the morning bar crowd.

peterpi

4am sure makes more sense than 7am.

ThePyro

There are a lot of states and municipalities that agree with you, as do I. If the Wikipedia page on “Last Call” can be trusted, there are only a couple of handfuls of states and moderate-to-large cities that push past 4 am – and those cater to either round-the-clock working class (like Shreveport, LA) or high-end partying (like Miami, FL or Las Vegas, NV). We tend to use other cities as a comparative measure on a lot of law enforcement initiatives…this seems like a good one to do so, too, in my opinion.

holyreality

There is a class of people who never see daylight. Their work starts late and ends later. 4:00 a.m. might be reasonable to those of us who live during the day but 2:00 is just the beginning of the “party” for many in the drinking class.

sibongile

The writer assumes people will drink in moderation. 1. You know what it means when people assume. 2. Research demonstrates that keeping bars open an additional 2 or more hours creates greater violence and other alcohol associated harms. 3. This proposal is not based on any of the research out there about alcohol related violence which it is supposed to address. 4. This is poor thinking and the alcohol industry lining the pockets of politicians. 5. I don’t want to be on the road at 7:00 in the mroning with a lot of drunk drivers who chugged there last drink at 6:30am for last call.

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